Too Secretive? Hinsdale D-86 Board Debates Equity Committee

Darien IL

16 May, 2022

3:18 PM

Description

DARIEN, IL – Some residents in Hinsdale High School District 86 have complained about the secrecy that they say surrounds the district's equity committee. At last week's school board meeting, board member Peggy James said she has struggled for months to get information about what's going on with the Culture and Equity Leadership Team, or CELT. It is considered a superintendent's committee, so its sessions are held behind closed doors. Twice in the last year, the committee was the first to hear presentations from prospective anti-racist consultants. In both cases, winning candidates withdrew after their controversial tweets came to light. The second instance sparked a movement to oust Superintendent Tammy Prentiss. At last week's meeting, James said she never got the requested overview of the committee. She said she was asked to present information about the committee to the board. She was to do so along with her proposal to make it a school board committee, which would require open meetings. She said she was not a member of the committee, so others were better positioned to provide the overview. "So I would like to offer my sincere thanks for the attempt to embarrass me on this one," she said. The committee consists of 84 members, 71 percent of whom are board members, administrators or staff, James said. The group includes 13 students, five parents and five community members, she said. "Several community members have asked to join the committee, but have been told there isn't enough room," James said, suggesting it was weighted too heavily in favor of employees. She said private conversations about students' equity concerns could happen in a closed-door subcommittee. Board member Cynthia Hanson, one of two board members on the committee, said it's important to give students a forum to speak about their concerns outside an open meeting. She said she would like to see more students on the committee. Member Debbie Levinthal said she could see both sides. She proposed a compromise in which the district committee remains under the superintendent's jurisdiction, while equity issues could be handled as part of a board committee. She also suggested rotating the board members who attend the committee's meetings. The district's website doesn't list the committee's membership. Even the number of members was the subject of a debate at last week's meeting. James said she got her number, 84, from the district's database containing its responses to public records requests. However, Superintendent Tammy Prentis said the number was 64, which is how many people she said were listed in her emails to the committee. Board member Jeff Waters agreed with James' proposal. "Transparency will quell community concerns with respect to equity conversations," he said. "I do believe the spirit of the mission is good, and it needs to play out." But he said the recommendations for the last two anti-racism consultants "didn't play out famously." A majority of the seven-member board did not want to move the committee to the board's jurisdiction. Board President Erik Held said the committee could provide regular updates to the board. He also said he liked Levinthal's idea to rotate board members on the committee.